Watson’s simple strategy pays dividends in 2nd round

Bubba’s brand working

Published: Saturday, April 12, 2014 12:28 a.m. CDT

Caption

(Charlie Riedel)

Bubba Watson tees off on the third hole during the second round of the Masters on Friday in Augusta, Ga. The 2012 champ reeled off five consecutive birdies on the back nine, and takes a three-stroke lead into the weekend.

By Doug Ferguson
AP Golf Writer

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Bubba Watson won the Masters 2 years ago with his brand of “Bubba golf,” producing shots of raw skill and wild imagination. His strategy now is to keep it simple ... and he is halfway to another green jacket.

Watson took over Augusta National on Friday with 75 minutes of brilliance and power. On another demanding day of crispy greens and swirling wind, he ran off five straight birdies on the back nine and wound up with a 4-under 68 for a three-shot lead over John Senden.

There’s nothing fancy about his golf, except for his outrageous length. He has made only two bogeys in 36 holes. He has missed only eight greens.

“It’s not science here,” Watson said. “It’s try to hit the greens. And if you’re hitting the greens, that means you’re obviously hitting your tee shots well. So that’s all I’m trying to do is just hit the greens ... maybe throw in a birdie here or there. That’s what I’ve done the last 2 days, and it’s worked out so far.”

Watson made bogey on the 18th hole with a shot that bounced left of the green and into the gallery. He finished at 7-under 137, giving him the largest 36-hole lead at the Masters since Chad Campbell in 2006.

Senden qualified for the Masters a month ago with his win at Innisbrook. After a rugged start, he played the final 14 holes with six birdies and no bogeys for a 68 that puts him in the last group at a major on the weekend.

Adam Scott also made a late recovery with three birdies on the back nine to salvage a 72, along with his hopes to join Tiger Woods, Nick Faldo and Jack Nicklaus as the only players to win back-to-back at Augusta. Scott was four shots back at 141, along with Thomas Bjorn (68), Jonas Blixt (71) and Jordan Spieth, the 20-year-old from Texas who looked solid on the mystifying greens and shot a 70.

“Bubba is tearing it up,” Spieth said. “So we’ve got to go get him.”

The chase includes the ageless Fred Couples, who won the Masters a year before Spieth was born. Couples, cool as ever at 54, had another 71 and was five back.

“I can’t panic,” said Couples, looking to become the oldest major champion in golf history. “You’re not going to pick up two or three shots here because you want to. It’s not that kind of course. You’ve got to hang in there, expect a tough shot here and there. It’s going to be a tough [weekend].”

Woods, who missed the Masters for the first time in 20 years because of back surgery, won’t be the only guy watching on television. Phil Mickelson made another triple bogey – three shots from the bunkers on the par-3 12th hole – for a 73 and missed the cut for the first time since 1997. So did Sergio Garcia, Ernie Els, Luke Donald, Webb Simpson, Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson and Jason Dufner.

Rory McIlroy nearly joined them. He hit one tee shot over the fourth green, past the head of Scott on the fifth tee, and into the bushes for a double bogey. Another shot hit a sprinkler head and landed in the azaleas behind the 13th green. He had to make a 6-foot par putt to make the cut at 4-over 148.

U.S. Open champion Justin Rose was nine shots behind, but not ready to give up because the leader often comes back to the field – although he admitted that former champs are less likely to collapse.

“But there’s no give on this golf course,” Rose said. “The hole can start looking awfully small, and those lakes can start to look awfully big.”

“It’s starting to get pretty easy to drop shots out there,” Scott added. “[Saturday] is a big day for everyone.”